Microsoft plan to target low-cost Windows Phones with WP8, but will keep Nokia Lumia 610 around

Greg Sullivan, senior product manager for Windows Phone, has been doing the rounds, and told KnowYourMobile that the high specs of the initial set of Windows Phone 8 handsets will not preclude them addressing the low end.

â€œOne of the points about the new architecture is that it will scale both up and down,â€ he said.

He noted that support for microSD cards meant OEMs will be able to make even cheaper Windows Phones.

â€œHaving support for removable SD storage will enable OEMs to build devices with less storage initially that is user expandable, so the bill of materials is potentially even lower for the handsets,â€ he said.

He however mentioned that Microsoft intended to continue supporting the current generation of Windows Phone 7 handsets, saying â€œWe will continue to support the current platform with the 256MB footprint in devices like the Lumia 610.â€

There have been rumours that Windows Phone 7.8 handsets will co-exist with Windows Phone 8, and it is certainly highly likely carriers will continue to sell handsets like the Nokia Lumia 610 side by side with the latest Windows Phone 8 handsets for at least 3-6 months.

When asked why Windows Phone 8 did not target budget handsets out of the gate he said ‘It made more sense to focus on making Windows Phone 8 as good as we possibly could, fully exploiting this new generation of hardware.â€